I’m alone…

He’s done a hell of a job convincing them all that I’m wrong, alienating me from people that I’ve known my entire life - makes my blood boil.

Taking a deep breath and a roll of my shoulders, I recognize its up to me. I’m not a politician, I’m not skilled at selling my narrative or debating points quickly. This will push me to my limits and beyond. Its uncomfortable - I don’t like it.

People are dying and I’ll have to find comfort in the uncomfortable if I’m to win at his game.

I knock lightly on our commander’s door, he already knows I’m standing here. “Come in.”

The light is low as sundown approaches and his fire is dying down. He never lets his fire die this close to night. He’s behind his large, wooden desk reading through scattered papers, very unusual for our tidy, chosen commander.

“The day is long, what do you want?” he says coldly, not even looking up.

“We need to talk about Aberneesh.” I’ve been questioning our orders in private for months, he knows I have no trust for the politician.

His reply is cold, “There’s nothing to talk about. We serve the republic.”

“Yes, but…”

“No” he interrupts sternly, looking up from his work. We stay in that moment, staring in the fading light, for what felt like hours. Finally, I look down.

“You’re dismissed.”

Torn between duty and what I know is right in my gut, I leave, saying no more. We’ve always had trust and partnership among the cadre and now that door feels closed. This is just the beginning of the world Aberneesh is building. Fear and mistrust.

Aberneesh has plans for the republic - plans that will ruin us all. The darkness consume me, I know it and I will prove it.